Diebold Anti-Dynamite Safe....Information or value?

Hi All,

I have this safe that I acquired with the purchase of my new home. Does anyone have any ball park of value in current condition or where to sell it? Both inner and our doors function lock/unlock as they should. I just have no use for this and it is so old I feel like there is someone out there that might appreciate it. It says patented July 38, 1885, and also says WM. Fish Agent Cleveland, OH, not sure what that means either. For me it is in the way and im looking for possibilities or interested parties to take it off of my hands. Does anyone have any further information on this beast? It weighs a ton, cant move it myself.Ill see if I can get more pictures as well.
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Bonsoir, this is not a safe. this is a piece of art.
I would have bought the house to have this safe.

Would need to be able to look at bigger pictures to be able to tell for sure but from the tiny pics I would guess you have a pretty collectable safe on your hands. Does it have timelocks? Where is it located?

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Originally Posted by jacobrules

Would need to be able to look at bigger pictures to be able to tell for sure but from the tiny pics I would guess you have a pretty collectable safe on your hands. Does it have timelocks? Where is it located?

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Jacob,

I am posting some more pictures below and hopefully you can tell me a bit more about it. It is an amazing piece of iron...the weight of the outer door alone just amazes me. I am not sure what you mean by timelocks exactly but from what I gather online I don't think it does. It just has a dial on the outside safe and a dial on the inside safe. Also, it is located in Erie, Pennsylvania in my basement. Any idea on value or who I would want to show this to to find collectors?

Thanks!

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So your safe is supposed to have Timelocks but someone has removed them. In the condition it is in and location I would guess you will have a rather hard time selling it. The problem is that it is in a basement. The easiest way to sell it would be to get it out of the basement and loaded on a pallet with the wheels chocked on the pallet and it strapped down. That way anyone anywhere in the country can buy it and you would not be restricted to just a local market. I think what you will find is it might cost rather more to remove it from the basement than you can sell it for. It is a very collectable safe but it's incomplete. It's probably worth $1500-$2000 as it sits incomplete. Most buyers however, are not going to want to pay the additional cost to remove it. So probably more like a $500 safe where it sits.

Is this the one that has the indirect drive gearpack laminated into the plates of the door?
If so it is a very nice lock.

If I had to guess, I would guess it is a direct drive lock but its hard to tell. A pic of the inside of the door with the bolts extended would probably answer that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jacobrules

So your safe is supposed to have Timelocks but someone has removed them. In the condition it is in and location I would guess you will have a rather hard time selling it. The problem is that it is in a basement. The easiest way to sell it would be to get it out of the basement and loaded on a pallet with the wheels chocked on the pallet and it strapped down. That way anyone anywhere in the country can buy it and you would not be restricted to just a local market. I think what you will find is it might cost rather more to remove it from the basement than you can sell it for. It is a very collectable safe but it's incomplete. It's probably worth $1500-$2000 as it sits incomplete. Most buyers however, are not going to want to pay the additional cost to remove it. So probably more like a $500 safe where it sits.

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Jacob,

Thank you so much for the information and that pdf. I haven't been able to find anything on this thing. Below is a picture with the bolts extended if that helps to identify the lock. I also underestimated the weight of this thing. How in the world did it end up in the basement? I imagine it would crush the wooden steps trying to get it out? Also, I do now see on the inside of the door where the time locks are missing....very interesting. I guess I will try and advertise locally if I can find a way to remove it or just use it for my own items. Can I trust the locking mechanism?

Thanks!
Matt
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I think the gear pack is built into the door and needs the door delaminating to remove it, although it looks direct drive, the position of the dial on the outside and lock on the inside seem to be in different locations.
with regard to can I trust the locking mechanism, probably more so than a modern lock.

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Originally Posted by Gary Stephenson

I think the gear pack is built into the door and needs the door delaminating to remove it, although it looks direct drive, the position of the dial on the outside and lock on the inside seem to be in different locations.
with regard to can I trust the locking mechanism, probably more so than a modern lock.

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Thanks Gary I have been wondering how safe this "safe" is to actually put things in. Also, for my last question,is this actually circa 1880s?

Hopefully some of our US members will have more info on this safe. Check the lock and boltwork operation with the door open first several times to make sure everything works as it should. It is an old but quality safe. But if you are going to keep anything of serious value in it then check with your insurance company first.

The lock is a Diebold Peerless indirect drive with 4 2 1/2" wheels. The gear train is pointed to the right .
Now the safe is only worth what some collector is willing to pay for it. This safe i in the range of 3500 to 4000lbs . Hope this helps Tim

Hi folks,

I said I would never restore another safe, but by golly if it was in the UK I would have trouble not getting seriously interested. As Stephane said it is art in itself and a missing timelock would be neither here not there.
I hope someone takes it on, its worth preserving in so many ways.

Steve

Thanks for your replies and information everyone. I just want to note that if there is anyone interested or willing to help me figure out how to move this thing I would definitely be willing to sell it and get rid of it. PM me if you have any interest!

Like I said before your biggest problem is where it is located in a basement. It would take some serious cribbing to try and get it up stairs, or set on its back and dragged up the stairs with a comealong or block and tackle arrangement. Once its out of the basement it would increase the value of it by at least $1000.00.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jacobrules

Like I said before your biggest problem is where it is located in a basement. It would take some serious cribbing to try and get it up stairs, or set on its back and dragged up the stairs with a comealong or block and tackle arrangement. Once its out of the basement it would increase the value of it by at least $1000.00.

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Yep, that definitely makes sense. I am currently working with a local safe moving company to see if it is possible to get it out of there and up the stairs somehow. I am not sure how it even got down there in the first place. I will keep this updated as it might be helpful to learn if something like this can even be moved.